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At New Heaven, we have been involved in different types of marine conservation projects for over 15 years. In the early days we did our own clean-ups and spent time educating visitors on the reefs. Soon after we began helping the Thai Navy to release sea turtles and Giant Clams in yearly projects, and hosting visiting researchers and scientists.
Marine conservation here really took off when we began working with the CPAD Coastal Preservation and Development foundation in 2005. The CPAD Foundation was a non-profit organization involved in a wide range of research and community based projects. Unfortunately their time here was short lived, but before leaving they trained up our staff on local research and management techniques. After CPAD left we started our own marine conservation program within the dive school to encourage responsible business practices through the continuation of existing projects, education of divers, and development of new projects.
The New Heaven Reef Conservation Program is the island’s leading center for student training and project assistance in marine research and restoration techniques. Our program is constantly expanding to new, cutting edge projects, and is working with other universities and research groups around the world. Our projects are diverse, as you can see in the list below, but our current focus is primarily on increasing coral reef resilience through a focus on increasing and protecting diversity.
2011 Project list 
- Underwater clean-ups
- Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP)
- Artificial reef construction
- Greenfins/Reef Watch reef surveys
- Biorock research and construction
- Mid-water coral nurseries
- Water testing
- Coral Larvae Culturing
- Coral Recruitment Studies
- Coral Disease Studies
- Marine Education
- Sea Turtle Release
- Giant Clam Nurseries
- Mooring buoy maintenance/installation
- Coral Predator Removal
- Tree/Grass planting
- Recycling
- And much more. . .
In 2008 we began working with the Save Koh Tao group and about 15 other dive schools from the island to encourage a wider conservation movement here on the island. Through this group, we have participated in monthly underwater clean-ups, land restoration activities, fundraising, turtle releases, tourist education, and the construction of 5 artficial reefs or diving trainings sites around the island, including the Gulf of Thailand’s largest Biorock structure, Hin Fai.
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Below are links to papers and publications written by our staff and students. They reflect findings from the research conducted through our program. These resources are made freely available for other researchers or students planning to study the reefs around our island. Please respect the author’s hard work by using the information contained for educational purposes only, and not for reproduction or reprinting elsewhere. All publications, data and interpretations are protected by international copyright laws. If you would like to use any of the information please contact us or the authors. Thank you.
August 2011 Update Report on the nurseries constructed by The New Heaven Reef Conservation Program in Chalok Ban Kao and Ao Leuk.
- Written in fulfilment of a degree at the Hogeschool Van Hall Larenstein Univeristy and an internship with the New Heaven Reef Conservation Program.
- “This research aims to identify trends in numbers of nutrient indicator algae and it's correlations with grazers to be able to detect possible changes in numbers over time. Furthermore, water quality has been tested and stress effects per dive site have been assessed and rated to be able to detect possible trends in reef health and the most influencing factors on reef ecology.”
- Written in fulfilment of a degree at the Hogeschool Van Hall Larenstein Univeristy and an internship with the New Heaven Reef Conservation Program.
- “This report is a restoration technique study over this “Coral Spawning Project”, which pays special attention to and gives advices over the implementation of this project. The aim here is to improve the efficiency of this scientific project for community-based organizations, like the NHRCP and others.”
Abstract and Poster for the Proceedings of the Second Asia Pacific Coral Reef Symposium, Phuket, Thailand. Pp 146.
Abstract and Poster for the Proceedings of the Second Asia Pacific Coral Reef Symposium, Phuket, Thailand. Pp 208.
Scott, Chad. 2010. A Sustainable Model for Resource Management and Protection Achievable through Empowering Local Communities and Businesses.
Proceedings of the Ramkhamhaeng University International Research Conference 2010 pp. 25-28.
This paper presents a case study of this concept from the island of Koh Tao that was designed to bring awareness to communities and tourists, decrease human impacts on coastal ecosystems, and revive restoration efforts in the Gulf of Thailand. This conservation model utilizes consumer interest in environmental activism to provide educational diving courses that also raise money for broader environmental and social projects.
As part of the MSc International Nature Conservation Georg-August Universität Göttingen, Germany. An an internship with the New Heaven Reef Conservation Program.
The aim of this research is to get an overview of the problems affecting the natural resources on Koh Tao, Thailand, so a management plan can be developed. Remote sensed data and field data were used to assess the condition of the reefs and threats to the reefs. Remote sensed data were acquired for 4 years (1975, 1994, 2001and 2005) to asses changes in land usage and to determine the location of the reefs.
In order to provide records of reef abundance and diversity the NHRCP conducts in-depth surveys and reports of various locations around the island. It is hoped that these reports can provide base-records and on-going information to track changes and facilitate other research projects.
A paper detailing some of the activities and responsibilities of two of our 4-month internship students from 2011.
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